Jon Jones Suspended 1 Year, But Things Could Still Get Worse For UFC Star

Bringing in an arbitration panel to rule in his case vs. USADA cleared Jon Jones of being a “drug cheat,” but the longtime UFC light heavyweight champion was still hit with the stiffest penalty in his tumultuous MMA career. And the worst may be yet to come.

Despite lab results pinning Jones’ failed June 16 test on a tainted sexual-enhancement tablet, the fighter was given the maximum one-year suspension allowed by USADA on Monday for failing to do his due diligence on the substance.

According to Jones’ account, the fighter received what he believed to be a Cialis pill from a training partner and checked with his agent to confirm that it did not violate the world anti-doping agency (WADA) code. It wasn’t until after the failed test that Jones discovered the pill was a knockoff brand — one containing anti-estrogen agents clomiphene and letrozol.

"(Jones) did not know that the tablet he took contained prohibited substances or that those substances had the capacity to enhance sporting performance,” the panel said. “However, by his imprudent use of what he pungently referred to as a ‘dick pill,’ he has not only lost a year of his career but an estimated nine million dollars."

The ban will be retroactive to the date the test results were made public (July 9), putting Jones in line for a return in the summer of 2017. Nonetheless, this marks the longest suspension handed out in the UFC’s anti-doping era involving a substance proven to have contaminants.

Given past cases and the use of an arbitration panel, the overwhelming sentiment was that Jones would receive no worse than a six-month ban. Instead, the former champ was met with a harsh verdict for the first time since establishing himself as the UFC's pound-for-pound king — and for an offense that pales in comparison to his criminal transgressions.

If an unbiased group of arbitrators slapped Jones with a maximum penalty, one can only imagine what the Nevada Athletic Commission has planned for him. Jones’ out-of-competition test failure was for a scheduled bout at UFC 200 in Las Vegas, which also puts him under the NAC’s jurisdiction — a group notorious for imposing "arbitrary and capricious" sanctions.

Jones’ history with the commission certainly won’t do him any favors. In Sept. 2014, following his infamous pre-fight melee with Daniel Cormier at the MGM Grand, a convincing show of remorse at his hearing allowed the 205-pound champ to get off with a proverbial slap on the wrist (a $50,000 fine and 40 community service hours). It was a rare display of mercy on the NAC’s behalf, and one unlikely to be repeated given Jones’ behavior in the two years since their generous ruling.

Less than three months after the brawl, Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites in an out-of-competition NAC test, but did not face any penalties from the commission because it was wrongfully administered and shared with the public. Jones was at one point considering a lawsuit for their mishandling of the situation. In 2015, the fighter was charged with a felony hit-and-run and stripped of his UFC title, narrowly avoiding jail time on two separate occasions after subsequent vehicular violations.

The NAC had no say in the latter, but again, all of these actions paint the commission’s favorable 2014 ruling in a negative light. And as we’ve seen time and time again, perceived disrespect shown toward the NAC can prove just as consequential as the facts presented in each case.

A reasoned determination would be aligning with the arbitration panel's one-year ban and sparing Jones of a hefty fine. After all, the fighter did not receive any portion of his estimated $9 million purse for UFC 200. With the commission’s most stringent member recently departed, Jones’ chances at a ruling along these lines might have improved to a degree.

With all this in mind, it looks like the biggest obstacle for "Bones" still lies ahead. And it’s unlikely to be addressed anytime soon, as the NAC has just requested another continuance for their Nov. 10 hearing.